United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
Solid Waste
and Emergency
Response (5105)
EPA 500-F-00-207
July 2000
www.epa.gov/brownfields/
&EPA Brownfields Cleanup
Revolving Loan Fund Pilot
Luzerne County, PA
Outreach and Special Projects Staff (5105)
Quick Reference Fact Sheet
EPA's Brownfields Economic Redevelopment Initiative is designed to empower states, communities, and other stakeholders
in economic redevelopment to work together in a timely manner to prevent, assess, safely clean up, and sustainably reuse
brownfields. A brownfield is a site, or portion thereof, that has actual or perceived contamination and an active potential for
redevelopment or reuse. EPA is funding: assessment demonstration pilot programs (each funded up to $200,000 over two
years), to assess brownfields sites and to test cleanup and redevelopment models; job training pilot programs (each funded
up to $200,000 over two years), to provide training for residents of communities affected by brownfields to facilitate cleanup
of brownfields sites and prepare trainees for future employment in the environmental field; and, cleanup revolving loan fund
programs (each funded up to $500,000 over five years) to capitalize loan funds to make loans for the environmental cleanup
of brownfields. These pilot programs are intended to provide EPA, states, tribes, municipalities, and communities with useful
information and strategies as they continue to seek new methods to promote a unified approach to site assessment,
environmental cleanup, and redevelopment.
BACKGROUND
Luzerne County is located in Northeastern
Pennsylvania, in the heart of the eastern "coal field"
region. Anthracite coal mining played a large role in
shaping the economy and the landscape of the
county. The decline in the coal industry, as well as in
the textile and steel industries, has drastically affected
the lives of Luzerne County residents and have left a
legacy of blighted communities and potentially
contaminated land.
hi this part of Pennsylvania, the inventory of
abandoned and underutilized industrial and
commercial properties includes abandoned
minelands. The minelands of Luzerne County cover
62 square miles, or seven percent of the total land
area. The ability to reuse this land in an
environmentally and economically sound manner is
vital to the achievement of sound land use objectives
for the County.
The County is comprised of 76 municipalities in
Northeastern Pennsylvania. Two-thirds of the more
than 300,000 residents live in urban areas. Both the
poverty and unemployment rates exceed state
averages; approximately 12 percent live under the
poverty level, and seven percent are unemployed.
PILOT SNAPSHOT
Date of Announcement:
July 2000
Amount: $500,000
BCRLF Target Area:
Luzerne County
Luzerne County, PA
Contacts:
Luzerne County Office of
Community Development
(570)824-7214
Region 3 BCRLF
Coordinator
(215)814-3246
Visit the EPA Region 3 Brownfields web site at:
www.epa.gov/reg3hwmdybrownfld/hmpage1.htm
For further information, including specific Pilot contacts, additional
Pilot information, brownfields news and events, and publications
and links, visit the EPA Brownfields web site at:
http://www.epa.gov/brownfields
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Luzerne County received a Brownfields Assessment
Demonstration Pilot with Lackawanna County in
1999.
BCRLF OBJECTIVES
The objective of Luzerne County's BCRLF Program
is to provide low interest loans to facilitate the
cleanup and sustainable redevelopment of brownfield
properties in the County.
FUND STRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS
Luzerne County Office of Community Development
will serve as lead agency and fund manager. The
County has not designated a site manager.
The term and interest rates, security, equity, and
duration of Luzerne County BCRLF loans will be
negotiable. Ten percent of project's total loan amount
will be retained until the project has been completed
and approved by the brownfields site manager. The
County will contribute in-kind resources and services
to assist in implementing the BCRLF program.
BCRLF loan recipients will be required to participate
in the Pennsylvania Land Recycling Program.
LEVERAGING OTHER RESOURCES
The BCRLF will be used in conjunction with the
EPA Assessment Demonstration pilot funds. Other
funding sources that can complement the BCRLF
may include the Pennsylvania Department of
Community and Economic Development Industrial
Sites Reuse Fund for site assessment, Luzerne
County's Keystone Opportunity Program tax
abatements, state-sponsored low income loans for
remediation and/or reclamation, and private lending
institutions.
Use of 'BCRLF Pilot funds must be in accordance with
CERCLA, and all CERCLA restrictions on use of funding
also apply to BCRLF funds.
Brownfields Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund Pilot Luzerne County, Pennsylvania
July2000 EPA 500-F-00-209
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